Corn-planter



(NOMOdeU W E F, P. MURPHEY.

com.T PLANTBR.

No. 426,043. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. MURPIIEY AND FRANK P. MURPHEY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,043, dated April 22, 1890.

Application led September 27, 1889. Serial No. 325,293. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. MUEPHEY and FRANK P. MURPHEY, of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain Improved Corn- Planter, of which the following is a specilication.

Our invention relates to cheek-row cornplanters; and it is our object to decrease the draft without lessening the accuracy of the checking and to avoid side draft by diminishing the strain on the check-row line. To this end we use seed-depositing prods that displace only sullicient soil to properly receive the grain, thus decreasing draft. l/Ve operate the prods from the carrying-wheels of the planter, thus taking nearly all the strain off the check-row line, and we use a knotted check-row line to intermittently connect the wheels with the gearing of the prods, thus insuring accurate check-rows.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents in side elevation a planter embodying our invention, the near carrying-wheel being removed to expose essential parts. Fig. 21S a plan of a portion of the device and Fig- 3 is a vertical section of the lower end of a good-depositing prod.

The wheels 1 are mounted on axle 11L in such manner that the forward motion of the wheels p is imparted to the axle, and the sprocket-wheel 1b is keyed on the axle or Otherwise rigidly Soourod thereto. The link-belt 2 connects the Sprocket-wheel lb with the sprocket-pinion 3, whioh is integral with ratchet -wheel 3, and Whioh rotates loosely on crank-shaft 8. Tho olutoh i is splined-on the shaft and has an inclined surface at its end, by means of which il; is thrown in mesh with the ratchetwheel. The spring 23 tends to hold the clutch out of Contact with the ratchet-wheel, and in addition to Jhis a trip or incline may be provided that will act positively to separate the ratchet-wheel from the clutch at the termination of @ach Complete rotation of the clutch and crank-shaft. The collar 5 is mounted to rook loosely on the crank-shaft, is held against longitudinal motion, and is adapted to the bevel of the clutch. It has an arm 5u, that connects by means of rod 6 with arm 7b on the check-row shaft 7. The prod 9 is adapted to carry grain,andit is forced into the ground at proper intervals, and the grain discharged by means of crank 10 on shaft S. Detent 11 holds the prod out of the ground and also holds the point of the prod in contact with the guide-leg 21. A rod 12 connects the detent with the arm 7 on the check-row shaft, and the said shaft has a forked lever 14, (one at each end,) that receives motion from the knots of the check-row line 15. The prod is preferably provided with a plunger 1S, that opens the prod-valve and forces out the grain, and the crank is double to provide means for operating the plunger in the prod. 1() connects one bearing of the crank with the prod, and pitman 17 connects the other bearing of the crank with the plunger. A shoe 22, (seen only inFg. 1,) forms a runner to ride over obstructions, and it is slotted at 22 to permit the prod to penetrate the ground and swing backward. The lower end 9 of prod 9 has valve 20, as seen in Fig. 3. This valve has the upward extension 20, against which spring 19 presses to hold the valve closed.

The prod may carry grain after the manner of a hand-planter; or, which is deemed preferable, the box 13 may have an ordinary drop operated by a worm on shaft S, or by other readily-obvious means, and the corn may be conveyed from the box to the prod-point by a swinging chute after the manner of graindrill conveyors or by means analogous thereto. Such a chute is shown at 2a in Fig. 1.

A complete machine has two prods on opposite ends of the crank shaft, and has a drivers seat and other adjunets common to planters. These, however, are readily-obvious points, not affecting the principle of the invention, and consequently are not shown.

In operation the prods are held by the detents until a lever 1-1 is acted on by a knot of the check-row line. Then the detents are released from the prods, the clutch is thrown in mesh with the continuously revolving ratchet-wheel, the cranks are rotated, thereby forcing the prods into the ground and discharging the corn, the prods swing backward to accommodate the forward motion of the planter, and, finally, at the completion of a rotation of the crank-shaft the prods will be arrested by the detents and the clutch will A pitman IOO depositing prods, clutch-gearing connecting the carrying Wheels with the crank-Shaft, check-row levers adaptedto actu ate the clutchgearing, and a knotted check-row line adapted to the levers, as set forth.

2. A corn-planter comprising a frame an carrying-wheels, a crank-shaft having seeddepositing prods, clutch gearing connecting the carrying-wheels with the crank-shaft, a detent or detente to arrest the rotation of the crank-shaft, check-row levers adapted to actuate the clutch-gearing andrelease the detents, and a knotted check-row line adapted to the levers, as set forth.

3. In corn-p1anters,in combination, a seeddepositing prod having swinging motion, and a depressing-shoe contiguous to the swing of the prod, as set forth. Y Y

In testimony whereof We sign oui names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. W. MURPHEY.

' FRANK P. MURPHEY.

Attest:

I. D. WALKER, L. P. GRAHAM. 

